Want to grab full marks in the Letter writing part of the descriptive paper in the SBI PO Mains Exam 2021? If yes, then you must read this article and pay heed to all the important points in it!
Letter and essay writings are the heart and the soul of the descriptive writing in the SBI PO Mains exam. It comprises one Letter writing and one essay writing test carrying a total of 50 marks. So, descriptive writing is going to be a scoring part of the SBI PO Mains Exam, where you will have to prove your writing skills. And the marks you secure in the descriptive writing section will be added to the marks of the Mains objective paper to calculate the overall Mains cut-off marks.
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Therefore, there is still enough time for you to ace the descriptive part to gulp maximum marks in the upcoming SBI PO Mains exam.
But before we discuss those must-follow tips, let us throw some light on the Mains exam pattern to check out the division of total Marks in the descriptive part:
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SBI PO Syllabus & Exam Pattern – Overview
The SBI PO Syllabus for the Prelims and the Mains Exam is almost the same. There is only a slight change in the Mains Section with two extra sections being added i.e. General and Banking awareness. However, the level of difficulty of the SBI PO Mains Paper is a little higher than the Prelims.
| Exam Conducting Body | State Bank of India (SBI) |
| Post | Probationary Officer (PO) |
| Notification Date | To Be Notified |
| Selection Process | Prelims Mains GD & PI |
| Marks Segregation SBI PO Exam | Prelims: 100 Marks Mains: 200 Marks Descriptive Test: 50 Marks GD: 20 Marks PI: 30 Marks |
| Duration of Exam | For SBI PO Prelims: 1 Hour For SBI PO Mains: 3 Hours |
| Marking scheme | 1 mark each for every correct answer in Online Test |
| Negative marking | 1/4th of the marks assigned to the question in MCQ |
| Mode of Examination | Online For Paper I and Paper II |
| Language of examination | English or Hindi English Language paper has to be attempted in English. |
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SBI PO Mains Exam Pattern 2021- English Language (Letter Writing & Essay)
The Descriptive Test has a duration of 30 minutes with a score of 50 marks. This test is conducted to test the writing skills of candidates via Letter Writing & Essay Writing. Given below is the exam pattern of the SBI PO Mains exam in reference to the Descriptive Paper:
| SBI PO Exam Pattern 2021: Mains | ||||
| S. No. | Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time allotted |
| 1 | Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 45 | 60 | 60 minutes |
| 2 | General Economy/ Banking Awareness | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| 3 | English Language | 35 | 40 | 40 minutes |
| 4 | Data Analysis & Interpretation | 35 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| 5. | English Language/Descriptive (Letter Writing & Essay) | 02 | 50 | 30 minutes |
| 6 | Total | 155 | 200 | 3 hours |
Note: Candidates who will meet the required Cut off in SBI Prelims will be eligible to appear for the Mains Exam. The syllabus for SBI PO Mains is quite similar to the IBPS PO Exam. There is only a slight change in the Mains Section with two extra sections being added i.e., General and Banking Awareness and a Descriptive Test and the duration of the test will be 3 hours.
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Descriptive Writing for Bank Exams – Types of Letter Writing
There are mainly two types of letters asked in exams:
- Formal Letter
- Informal Letter
Formal Letter: Written in official and non-personal capacity.Written to authorities, dignitaries, bureaucratic bodies, news editors, bank managers, etc
Informal Letter: Informal letters are personal and are written to personal contacts, family, friends, relatives, siblings, etc.
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Common Rules to be followed for Letter Writing-IBPS PO Exam
- Correct format and salutation (different for both).
- It should be divided into 3 paragraphs, that is, an introductory paragraph, a body, and a concluding paragraph. Write a single paragraph for the body part of the letter.
- Avoid writing the letter in points and use simple or plain and straightforward sentences.
- Try to limit you easy under 150 words, which is the word-limit. Practice essay writing on Wordpad on your computer to keep a watch over the word-count.
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Most Important Letter Writing Tips
Given below are the 10 most important tips for formal letter writing and 10 for Informal Letter writing:
Tips for Formal Letter-SBIS PO exam
- Don’t forget the Salutation like “Dear Ma’am/ Sir” and use a comma after every line of address.
- Place the subject after or before the salutation.
- Mention the addresses of both sender and receiver in the letter.
- Write Sender address then Receiver address and then Salutation.
- Your introduction must contain the issue you are writing the letter for.
- The body should contain the description of the issue.
- The conclusion must present the steps that can be taken or expectations or timelines, etc.
- The sentences must be more formal in nature. It is recommended to use active voice.
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Tips for Informal Letter-SBI PO Exam
- The address of only the sender should be mentioned in an informal letter.
- Use a comma after every line of the address.
- The salutation should be “Dear name of the friend/ family”.
- The introduction should have greetings and mention the reason for writing the letter.
- The body should give descriptions of the same.
- The conclusions must end with good wishes, etc.
- Be polite and do not form long sentences and be extra careful of the word limit.
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Important Topics for SBI PO Mains 2021 Descriptive paper
Given below are 20 important letter and essay topics for you that will help you in your last-minute preparation:
| Formal Letter Topics for SBI PO Mains 2021 Exam | |
| 1 | Letter to Regional Manager for changing the Bank Timings, as the current timings are inconvenient for customers. |
| 2 | Letter to the Branch Manager to add your son’s name as a second nominee for your savings account. |
| 3 | Letter to the Client of your bank who got a car loan from the bank 2 years ago and has sold the car now without redeeming the loan amount. |
| 4 | Letter to the Branch Manager for availing Overdraft Facility which you stopped long ago with the bank. |
| 5 | Letter to the Bank Manager to share a new idea on file management system in banks and how to implement it. |
| 6 | Letter to express your views on Corruption in India. |
| 7 | Complain letter regarding trouble faced by common people due to demonetization. |
| 8 | Letter to Bank Manager for reissuing your ATM Card. |
| 9 | Letter to expressing your views on the effect of latest technology and gadgets on today’s youth. |
| 10 | Complaint Letter to the Branch Manager for the rude behavior of one of the bank employees. |
| Informal Letter Topics for SBI PO Mains 2021 Exam | |
| 1 | Letter to your father asking him to guide you in making the career choice in Banking & Finance Sector. |
| 2 | Letter to your sister to inform her about the benefits of choosing Fixed Deposit Service in the bank. |
| 3 | Letter to your sister to inform her about the benefits of a Recurring Deposit Account in the bank. |
| 4 | Letter to your favorite novelist praising his/her book. |
| 5 | Letter to your brother advising him to take steps to improve his health. |
| 6 | Letter to your friend telling him the advantages of a PPF Account and suggesting him to open a PPF Account. |
| 7 | Letter to your younger sister/ brother of making early financial investments in your career. |
| 8 | Letter to your mother advising on her retirement plans. |
| 9 | Letter to your friend for using online mode for payments instead of cash. |
| 10 | Letter to your brother requesting him to send you some extra funds for payment of college fees. |
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General Tips for Letter Writing
You need to differentiate between a formal and an informal letter. For instance, writing a letter to the teacher or principal asking for leave is a formal letter, whereas writing a letter to invite a friend or even the principal to a party at your home would be an informal letter.
Here are some points you need to keep in mind before and while writing a letter:
- Clear the purpose of the letter in the very beginning of the letter is very important while writing a formal letter.
- Use Polite words and civil language while writing a letter.
- Follow the formal or informal letter format. The opening and closing format should be correct.
- Try to create a flow of language, by clearly mentioning the purpose of the letter. It should be precise and to the point.
- Do not use jargon, slang, or abbreviations, unless it is necessary.
- Conclude the letter with Your Faithfully/ Sincerely.
- Avoid grammatical mistakes.
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Best SBI PO Mock tests are the key to success
Attempt SBI PO Mock test regularly. These perfectly designed SBI PO Mock Tests help you check your level of preparation with SBI PO Books. After taking every Mock Test you will be able to Analyse your answers more quickly and effectively. It will help you know where you went wrong and in which weak areas you will have to work to improve. The best SBI PO 2021 Mock tests not only help you to learn to manage time during the actual exam but also help you to maintain both speed and accuracy while giving answers to questions.
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SBI PO FAQs
Ques. Is there any negative marking in the SBI PO exam?
Ans. Yes, the aspirants will get a deduction of 0.25 marks in case of every wrong answer.
Ques. Is there any sectional cutoff for each section in the SBI PO Exam?
Ans. No, the State Bank of India has removed the Sectional Cutoff for SBI PO Prelims and Mains examination.
Ques. When can I apply for the SBI PO exam 2021?
Ans. Once the notification is released, the aspirants can apply for the SBI PO 2021 from the official website.
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